The Legend of Zelda: End of a Legend
by Andrew Borealis
Summary: The title says it all. This is the end of a Legend. It's kinda AU, but mostly fitting in with canon storylines, preferably TP. Not my best work, but for once I got an idea, and if I didn't act on it, then it would have been lost. Read, review, no flames.


The Legend of Zelda

End of a Legend

Princess Zelda Elnayru Hyrule...

She was standing in a doorway, looking out at a crowd of citizens as they grouped together and shouted, some shaking their fists. The Princess put her hand on the opposite arm and looked down, feeling less confident than she ever had. Today was a very important day... It was her coronation as queen of Hyrule.

Normally, Zelda would look to her dearest friend, and the one she loved most in her life, to help her through times like this, but that was no longer and option. It could never be an option again...

Link was dead.

He'd only been dead a day, but it was more than long enough to throw her whole world into a state of chaos.

As the sun glared in Zelda's crystal-blue eyes, she remembered the event. She remembered it all too well. The day of coronation was just one night away, and Zelda was sitting at her throne, simply waiting for the day to end. Link had been with her all day, and was trying to console her.

The reasoning for this coronation was due to the recent death of the previous queen, also named Zelda due to a decree that all women born of the Hylian Royal Family must share that name. The fact that she had to become queen the next day had put a lot of pressure on the young Princess, and for the first time in her life, she felt uncertain and unsure of herself, but when Link laid his hand on her shoulder, she started to feel better.

"It's all right, Zelda." the boy started to say. "With as well as you've been doing so far, I think you'll do a great job as queen."

Zelda put her hand on Link's and closed her eyes. "Thank you for your kind words, but this isn't something I really know anything about... My mother was a wonderful queen, even after my father's death. I tried my hardest in my studies, but I could never really perfect the kind of things that mother made look so easy..."

Link kneeled down next to his friend. "And that's a problem? You can rule the kingdom your own way, and the people already love you."

"They love me now, but I'm nothing like my mother..." the Princess retorted. "She was able to inspire the people in times of grief, and she was a diplomat that could never be paralleled. I've never been good at either."

"You inspire me." Link told her. "And if you can inspire a lowly commoner like me, then the other citizens should listen to you as well."

With a soft smile, Zelda nodded as she looked into Link's eyes. The boy simply smiled in return as he moved a few stray strands of brown hair away from the Princess' face as he leaned in closer, and the eventual contact finally coming as close as it was going to.

Before they could complete their endeavor, however, the door to the throne room swung open as the pair heard a loud shout. Link and Zelda looked in the direction of the door and saw a man running towards them, knife at the ready. Link immediately jumped in front of her Highness and drew his blade, holding it loosely but with an incredibly firm grip.

With a simultaneous shout, the two fighters lunged forward. Link had the advantage of reach with his larger blade, so his sword had instantly gone through his opponent's torso, but the man didn't give up there. Letting the blade run through him even more, the assassin made a final stab at Link, piercing his right lung. With one last shout, Link twisted his blade and sliced to the left, causing the assassin to fall limp and breathe his last.

At that point, Link dropped his sword and buckled over, landing just barely on his knees only to fall completely onto the floor as Zelda screamed, rushing from the throne and kneeling at his side.

Before the Princess could say a single word, Link raised a bloodied hand and placed it on her cheek, smiling warmly.

"Zelda, before you start talking about how this is your fault, just remember... Your mother had those who were against her as well, and your father died protecting her... I'm happy to have done you this last service."

"But, Link... I..." Tears began streaming down the girl's lovely face as she held the boy's head in her arms. "I don't know if I can do this without you! I can't even defend myself! How do you expect me to rule Hyrule without you!"

Link's eyes closed as he put his free hand on the knife that had pierced him. "You're an amazing woman, Zelda. You're amazing in your vast wisdom, and you're more kind than anyone else in the history of the kingdom. And you were... You were able to love... Someone like me..." As he looked into Zelda's eyes one last time, he pulled the knife out and the blood flowed freely out of his wound. He smiled weakly one more time, and the upcoming queen's best friend was gone...

Zelda could only respond with tears. Tears that soaked her face and left a red smudge on an already reddened green tunic below her. Upon seeing the redness from her tears she reached up and touched her face in the same spot Link had touched her.

She was horrified when she looked at her now-bloodstained glove and let out a frightful scream.

It had finally sunk in...

Link was dead.

And he died for her...

The glare from the sun was gone, but the crowd was still there, screaming about how she hadn't shown herself yet. But she wasn't ready. She hadn't said a word since Link was lost to her. Now all she could do was think about what she had lost.

Looking over at her throne, she recalled one last time the encouragement she had received from her most treasured friend, and the one she loved...

At long last, the Princess took a deep breath and stepped outside, looking at the mob of angry citizens. It was her time to shine, and she was ready to do it. It's what Link would have wanted.

"My citizens of Hyrule!" she began. "I come before you today to become your queen, but first I have to be sure of something!"

The advisors around her looked at her questionably, wondering what was going on.

"I have to ask all of you... Do you approve of this? Do you want me to become your queen?"

The mob stopped shouting and looked at the princess, suddenly sharing the questionable look that the advisors had. At that point, a lone child spoke up with a loud voice.

"We love you Princess!"

With the child's statement, the crowd began shouting once more, all voicing their approval as the soon-to-be-crowned woman grinned.

"Then I thank you. In a short time I will be your queen, and I hope to have your approval in all of my actions! I plan to include even the most common people in the plans of our kingdom, and I hope we can continue onward and make Hyrule the greatest it has ever been!"

As she finished her speech, Zelda kneeled down as one of the advisors walked up behind her, raising a crown above her head, slowly placing it where her tiara once rested. The advisor then stepped back and made the first announcement of the era. "BEHOLD! QUEEN ZELDA!"

The new queen stood up and looked at her people... Even without Link, she knew she could do this...

She was ready.


End file.
